Nike Goes For Midnight Magic

Nike Golf has gone to the dark side with the introduction of its Method Midnight putter, which is available in new milled head shapes with a dark chrome finish.

Three models of the Method Midnight are available, with all three using polymetal face groove technology to generate forward roll almost immediately after impact for accuracy and consistency.

“The multi-dimensional face is the primary technology of these products. Everything revolves around this,” said David Franklin, master model maker for Nike Golf.

The Method Midnight will be available in mid-June in all three models, 006, 007 and 008. The Method Midnight 006 will also be available in left-handed models.

Nike Apparel Focusing On Performance

Nike Golf’s Tour Performance apparel focuses on moisture management, cooling and stretch technologies to provide lightweight performance.

“This line is seriously full of athlete-driven innovation and visible technology,” said Doug Reed, global category business director for apparel and footwear for Nike Golf. “It’s performance, amplified.”

The Color Wrap polo for women and Convertible Skort are designed to be comfortable, chic and practical. The Convertible Skort is reversible from plaid to solid and comes with a twill short to provide three looks in one.

The TW Ultra polo is part of the Tiger Woods Collection. This Dri-FIT polo weighs in at just 2.9 ounces and features a self-fabric, perforated collar for added breathability. The TW Ultra Light pant is a Dri-FIT performance pant.

The Tiger Woods Collection has added another new element with placement of the Nike Swoosh on the left chest of the polo and the TW logo on the back of the collar.

Skins Game Names Three Players

The Telus World Skins Game will once again have a distinct Nike feel to it after the announcement Monday that defending champ Jhonattan Vegan will return, along with Anthony Kim and Paul Casey.

The Skins Game, celebrating its 20th anniversary, will be played July 30-31 at Glen Arbour Golf Course in Halifax.

“I know for a lot of us, last year was our first opportunity to play in the Telus World Skins Game, and we had a great time,” said Vegas.

“The fans were fantastic and you can tell that they appreciate their golf. I’ve heard wonderful things about Halifax and Atlantic Canada, so it’s going to be a fun few days,” he added.
The rest of the field is expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

Nike VR_S Hybrids Feature NexCOR

NexCOR variable face thickness technology is one of the features of the new VR_S hybrids being introduced by Nike Golf.

Designed to provide distance for a wider range of players, NexCOR combines with a compact, aerodynamic design, while L Face technology positions the weld on the sole to allow for an expanded, maximum COR zone from the middle to lower on the face, where most fairway shots are struck.

“By taking a holistic approach to how we’ve designed every club in the VR_S line, we’ve been able to deliver more speed and more distance with every club in the bag,” said Nike Golf’s director of club creation Tom Stites.

“These new VR_S hybrids are just like the VR_S driver, fairway woods and irons. They are ultra-fast, so that they can play their role in getting you to the green more quickly. The result is what every golfer wants — fewer strokes,” he said.

Impact studies revealed where consumers hit the fact at impact on every club. As a result, the NexCOR technology throughout the VR_S drivers, fairway woods, irons and hybrids differ in each club.

Between April and June, Nike Golf will be conducting VR_S Speed trials at golf retail and green grass shops across Canada that will allow consumers to compare the speed of their current clubs compared to Nike VR_S products on a launch monitor.

The accumulated distance will be tallied and recorded on a national leaderboard on www.nikegolf.ca.

Nike Introduces VR_S Forged Irons

Tiger Woods was the first Nike athlete to put a new Nike VR_S Forged Iron in competitive play at last year’s Presidents Cup, where he played a VR_S Forged three iron that is bent to perform like a two iron.

“These premium forged irons are the epitome of both performance and beauty. They meet the expectations of a blade player’s discerning eye, yet they are hot and fast and will deliver on distance,” said Nike Golf’s director of club creation Tom Stites.

“They are so versatile that they will play very well for both the golf moving out of forged blades who wants to maintain feel and the golfer looking for forgiving distance. Hot, fast, forged and forgiving — these irons really have it all,” added Stites.

VR_S Forged Irons feature a Japanese Forged SAE 8655 face, allowing for a 2.5 m.m. constant thickness face to create more COR for distance and performance.

The high frequency Nike X3X grooves offer more grooves that are closer together and deeper on the clubface to provide more control and consistency in various conditions off the clubaface, while conforming to USGA and R&A guidelines.

Nike Powerbow Technology is also a feature to position weight off the face with a deep pocket construction to produce faster, higher launch for more carry, straighter ball flight and deeper descent into greens.

Industry Needs Agreement/Action To Grow The Game

In a setting such as the PGA Merchandise Show, which gets underway Thursday morning, there is no shortage of opinion about the challenges facing golf, particularly participation.

“The most important thing we can do as an industry is to grow participation,” said Nike Golf president Cindy Davis on Wednesday at Demo Day.

“We’ve been told the same three things about the experience of golf for at least the last decade — it takes a lot of time, it’s hard and it costs a lot,” she said.

Identifying the problem is one thing. Doing something about it is another. Read more

What’s Going Down In O-Town?

ORLANDO — Heading into the PGA Merchandise Show, which begins Thursday at the Orange Country Convention Center, companies are looking to ride already-established momentum in, make a splash in Orlando, then carry that momentum throughout the year.

Great Timing For PING

PING couldn’t have asked for better timing than Mark Wilson’s win last weekend at the Humana Challenge, using the new i20 driver and irons just before the show began.

“What a great start in just his second week out with them on the PGA Tour. That was quite an accomplishment,” said PING director of engineering Brad Schweigert.

“A lot of it is brand building than actually stimulating individual club sales, but when you have a new product launch like this and you have early success with it, I think it can only help,” he added.

“We don’t put a load of pressure on our tour players to get into the new products. We obviously make it available and work with them, so when they do choose and they have success, it’s a great feeling for us,” said Schweigert.

“When he first hit them, he just thought they went through the ground really nice. They really suit his eye. They had some forgiveness where he wanted it in the long irons. The trajectories were really good. It was a good fit right from the beginning.”

Nike Dares You

Nike Golf president Cindy Davis joined LPGA Tour star Suzann Pettersen and some big bruisers in the form of Ken Griffey Jr. and Sterling Sharpe at a company event Tuesday evening at the Peabody Hotel.

Griffey and Sharpe took part in a Speed Trial, something that will become a part of demo days and at retail outlets in the months to come as part of the launch of Nike’s VR_S woods, hybrids and drivers.

Golfers will get the chance to compare their own clubs against the VR_S products.

“Getting people to change is not always easy,” said Davis.

“Change isn’t easy in anything and golfers who have been playing this sport for a long time often default to whatever brand they’ve been playing and don’t do due diligence to really understand what’s available in the marketplace,” she added.

Nike, a relative newcomer in the club business compared to other major manufacturers, is providing the incentive to do that through Speed Trials, according to Davis.

“Is it too difficult to go hit a few drives, a few fairway woods, a few hybrids to really see the technology? We don’t think it is,” she said.

“If we didn’t find a way to have trial with a purpose, we’re not sure we’d get the engagement level we think we’re going to get with this program,” said Davis.

“If someone says, `I dare you,’ a lot of people say, `Okay, I’ll take you up on that.’ This program, in many ways, the Speed Trials, says `I dare you.’”

Callaway Has Lots To Show At The Show

Callaway is not only introducing its fully-adjustable RAZR Fit driver, but also its RAZR X Black family of woods, hybrids and irons, but it won’t end there.

The new HEX Black Tour and HEX Chrome golf balls will be introduced, as will the new Metal-X line of putters from Odyssey. In irons, the RAZR X Black, the RAZR XF and the RAZR X HL iron will complement the company’s 2011 offerings—the RAZR X, RAZR X Forged and RAZR X Tour.

Watch GNN for more on the technology of these products.

What Happened In Vegas Won’t Stay In Vegas

Expect to see Callaway’s new “Epic Demo” advertising campaign, shot on location at and above the Las Vegas Strip in December, on network television in the next few weeks.

At the helm of the shoot was music video and commercial director, Joseph Kahn. The television and online executions will put the spotlight on the company’s 2012 products and staff professionals, reportedly in a way most golfers aren’t used to seeing.

PING nFlight Going Mobile

You won’t actually see it in Canada until later this year, but PING is giving accounts a peek at its new, mobile nFlight fitting system, which works with several launch monitors off an iPad-type device, which delivers a wealth of swing information.

You heard it here first, but don’t tell anybody that.

Fourteen Goes Forged

Fourteen Golf, distributed in Canada by Jancor Agencies, is introducing its TC-530FG forged irons at the show. Watch GNN soon for the complete tech story.

Nike Deja Vu

You likely heard a lot about Nike’s 20XI ball in 2011 through stories such as this and this, but there’s more to come because the company is looking at this year as the launch.

Last year’s launch of the 20XI only took place in North America and this year it goes global. Advertising campaigns and player seeding will be among the means used to promote the ball in North America and around the world.

“We not only created a new core technology. We created a whole new manufacturing process. It was a start-up,” said Nike Golf president Cindy Davis.

“Making a urethane ball, a premier ball, is not an easy thing. Creating a whole new way from an injection molding standpoint was a whole new thing,” she added.

“We wanted to bring it to (the North American) market because it was out in the marketplace from a knowledge standpoint, so we made a strategic decision to begin the process in North America,” said Davis.

“We actually look at this year as the real launch of the 20XI golf ball because it goes global next month. Now the trial begins. If you look at our portfolio from an advertising standpoint, it will get the largest amount of advertising dollars percentage-wise of our media spend,” she said.

“I think we learned something,” said Davis. “Because of the energy that we created in North America launching this, all the launch quantities in other parts of the world have nearly doubled than what was originally planned.

“The other parts of the world have said, `I’ve heard about this, when is it coming?’ so we created some real anticipation and pent-up demand for this product,” she said.

Nike Lunar Ascend Features HyperFuse Construction

Nike Golf is expanding its Lunar shoe collection with the introduction of the new Nike Lunar Ascend men’s golf shoe.

The Lunar Ascend features Hyperfuse construction in the upper that originated in Nike basketball. It’s a multi-layered construction designed for lightweight support, comfort, breathability and durability.

Hyperfuse features three different materials, an internal synthetic underlay for structure and support, a performance mesh layer for breathability and a thin TPU durable outer layer for additional protection and support.

The base stability layer and the breathable layer are fused together with the thin TPU skin layer for a no-sew construction.

The Nike Lunar Ascend also uses Lunarlon foam cushioning with an Integrated Traction performance outsole. Integrated Traction is a molded TPU outsole that enhances traction and ground feel, while reducing overall weight.

The lower profile of the Lunar Ascend helps increase stability, while untilizing Integrated Traction to eliminate spike pressure and maintain traction.

A variety of colour combinations are available.

Off To Orlando

Depending on when you read this, I could be 30,000 feet over North Carolina or Georgia on my way to the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

It’s been a tradition for years and while the show has changed dramatically since I first started going, one thing that doesn’t change is a crazy schedule. Read more

New Nike VR_S Irons Feature NexCOR Technology

The new Nike VR_S irons feature NexCOR variable face thickness, designed to bring driver face technology to its irons.

NexCOR is designed to maximize distance for a wide range of players though its multi-face thickness design and create a bridge for thin, hot faces to provide more ball speed from each club.

Through impact studies, Nike engineers mapped where consumers hit the ball on the face at impact on each club. Based on those results, the location of NexCor differs from club to club.

“This NexCOR technology allows for the clubface to produce greater energy return, higher trajectory and longer and straighter shots,” said Tom Stites, director of club creation for Nike Golf.

“Golfers will start noticing that they are hitting shorter irons into the greens.  This will not only help to improve their confidence level, but also their game,” he said.

The new face construction expands the maximum COR zone from low-centre to high-toe, where Nike has found the majority of iron shots are struck.

Using Nike’s PowerBow technology, the weight is positioned off the face with an undercut construction for a faster, higher launch, more carry, straighter flight and steep descent into greens.

Nike Expands Method Putter Franchise

Nike Golf has added the mid-mallet Nike Method Concept to its Method putter franchise.

The unique shape has the appearance of a blade with the performance of a mallet, with a red front and black back design, but the Method Concept is about more than looks.

The Method Concept features multi-material technology and two distinctive body parts. The face of the putter is light at just 90 grams, while the body is heavy at 200 grams.

The combination of the two sections is designed to create a high MOI-to-head ratio in a small mallet with the stability of a large mallet.

The lightweight aluminum face and a high-mass stainless steel body position the centre of gravity farther back in the head and lower in the sole for a truer roll.

As it is with the Nike Method franchise, the Method Concept also features polymetal groove technology for faster forward roll at impact for increased accuracy.

“We are giving consumers something new and something better,” said David Franklin, master model maker for Nike Golf.

“There’s a reason the shape is the way it is — it allows us to infuse vital science and powerful technology that delivers a very high MOI in a relatively small package,” he added.

S Is For Speed In Nike’s New VR_S Family

S is for speed with the introduction of Nike Golf’s VR_S family of products which includes drivers, fairway woods, irons and hybrids.

An extension of Nike’s VR franchise, the VR_S line has focused on speed through NexCOR technology for slower swing speeds, while the Nike VR Pro LE combines NexCOR and the variable Compression Channel for faster swing speeds.

Each club in the VR_S family will have a laser engraved NexCOR logo, a shape that mirrors the face construction inside the head to create more speed.

To create speed and distance to every club in the bag, Nike Golf engineers focused on the faces of all clubs in a golfer’s bag.

“In golf, when we talk about distance, the first thing that comes to mind is the driver,” said Tom Stites, director of club creation for Nike Golf. “We decided to look beyond that and focus on the entire bag from a holistic point of view.

“We discovered that NexCOR face technology adds distance and will play a critical role in helping golfers to become better. They’ll be hitting more shorter irons on their approach shots,” said Stites.

Nike’s NexCOR technology is designed to maximize distance for a wide range of players through multi face thickness design.

The NexCor infinity design creates a bridge for ultra-thin, ultra-hot faces and high ball speed from every club with the NexCOR technology differing from club to club.

“In setting out to create the fastest and hottest face, we know that consumers don’t hit it in the same spot on the face every time,” said Stites.

“We conducted impact studies and were able to map where consumers hit the ball on the face at impact on every club,” added Stites.

“Based on those results, we are able to move this NexCOR technology around on the face. The location of NexCOR on the face differs on every club. Not every face is identical,” he said.

Between April and June, Nike Golf will be conducting VR_S Speed Trials at hundreds of participating golf retail shops and golf courses across Canada.

Nike Introduces VR Pro Limited Edition Fairways

Already in the bags of tour players Stephen Ames, Stewart Cink, Simon Dyson, Francesco Molinari and Tiger Woods, the Nike VR Pro Limited Edition fairway woods feature a slightly pear-shaped head with a mid-to-low face height made from 455 stainless steel.

Nike Golf uses variable Compression Chamber technology to increase speed at more spots on the clubface for greater distance on a variety of shots.

The full-length Compression Channel has variations in depth in specific locations to generate more ball speed for greater distance.

The new MRC Diamana ‘Ahina shaft incorporates Mitsubishi Rayon’s Multi-Dimensional Interlay technology (MDI) for a stiffer mid and tip section than its predecessor.

The VR Pro Limited Edition fairway woods are designed to complement the VR Pro Edition driver.

Nike Goes Xtreme With Carry Bag

The new Xtreme Sport IV Carry Bag features a new, ventilated mesh back pad and updated Nike revolving double strap system.

The Xtreme Sport IV also features the new Nike Grind zipper made from raw materials from the recycling of athletic shoes through Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program and from the scrap materials left over from the manufacturing of Nike products.

Other features include custom leg end caps for stability and GPS/rangefinder loops for functionality.

The Xtreme Sport IV also has nine functional pockets, six of which are zippered, including a water-resistant fleece-lined valuable pocket, insulated cooler pocket. full-length apparel pocket and a drawstring quick access pocket.

Eight different colour options are available.

Nike Adds To Women’s Brassie II Cart Bag Collection

Nike Golf is introducing two new golf bags to its Nike Brassie II Cart bag collection for women.

Each Brassie II cart bag has been designed in unity with the colors and styles of Nike Golf women’s footwear and apparel for coordination purposes.

For women who prefer bright colors, there’s the Nike Brassie II Cart bag that carries a vivid argyle pattern in hues of pink and lavender with a touch of gray.

For an understated look, there a grey plaid is also available.

The Nike Brassie II Cart bag incorporates key features and benefits for the golfer who often uses a trolley or power cart.

For organization, the Nike Brassie II Cart bag features a nine-inch, 10-way oval top that is fur lined and includes “stadium seating” for clubs.

Stadium seating is a simple configuration that provides easy visibility when making club selections. An integrated external putter well and glove patch are for quick and convenient access.

To allow for easy access to gear, there are nine functional pockets, seven of which are zippered, including a large, insulated cooler pocket to keep drinks and food cool.

The Nike Brassie II also comes with two functionally designed matching accessory pouches. The pouches can either be clipped onto the outside of the bag or placed in one of its nine pockets.

Nike has also introduced a variety of accessories to complete the Brassie II Collection, including the Nike day bag, bucket bag and tote bag.

Show Your True Colours In New Nike Sport Apparel Line

Nike is inviting golfers to show their true colours through its new Sport Apparel line.

“A lot of Nike Golf apparel has exuded high energy, but the 2012 Sport Apparel collection goes further in delivering youthful styling to golfers who have an exuberant, expressive look,” said Kim D’Oliveira, Apparel Manager for Nike Golf Canada.

“The Sport Collection features new designs for polos, cover-ups, pants, shorts and headwear that telegraph a vibrant and irreverent passion for golf as a modern and athletic game for all ages and attitudes,” she added.

The Sport Collection integrates Nike’s DRI-FIT fabrication to keep golfers cool and comfortable, as well as a slightly slimmer fit and cotton-blend fabrics.

Notable among the new releases is the Jersey Swoosh polo, with a sleek-fitting cut, numerous bold colours an DRI-FIT technology.

The new slim-fitting Sport Heather Pant blends classic fashion with modern details.

“Our men’s and women’s Sport collections are a great way for shops to introduce an exciting new apparel line with a different point of view towards the sport of golf, as well as giving consumers an alternate way to enhance their expression of golf attitude and style,” said Doug Reed, Global Category Business Director, Nike Golf Apparel and Footwear.

(Note: In our first posting of this story, GNN ran a photo from another Nike collection rather than the Sport Apparel line. The photo has since been fixed. We apologize for any inconvenience)

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